6: Background
by WIWJ
Summary: The last in my AU series. A look at what was going on in the background while Woody and Jordan started their life together.. They were not the only ones who's world was changing.FINISHED?
1. The Making of the Miracle

This chapter takes place before and durring 'A Christmas Miracle'.

* * *

**_Backgrounds

* * *

_**

**Making of a Miracle**

Woody rolled the invitation up between his hands again. Maybe this was a bad idea.

"Ready?" His partner moved backout of her office pushing her hands down the sides of her black dress. If not for Jordan, he may have thought she looked sexy. He may have suggested they stay in. If when she had walked out, he hadn't imideatly wondered if Jordan was going to wear her red dress, he might have done more that just flirt with Lu Simmons. "Woody?"

He nodded at her wordlessly.

"You know…" Shrink tone, the voice in Woody's head warned. "These are _your_ friends. He looked at her. "I hardly know them. So why is it that you look like you got caught stealing from the collection plate?"

He shook his head, taking a long slow breath.

"I don't know if I can do it." He looked back down at the invitation. _Last year._ Last year he'd thought they'd be engaged by now. Now she'd be there with _him_.

"Why did you say you'd go?" She asked pointedly.

"They're my friends." He mumbled. "My family. They're-. _She's_ all I have."

"Woody." Partner voice, sympathy voice.

"I miss her." Had she not been listening so hard she would have missed his soft admission completely.

"Woody, at some point you are going to have to decide whether or not to tell her what's in your heart."

"She knows." She did, didn't she? He'd told her a thousand times.

"Does she?" Lu sat down beside him on the bench. "When was the last time you told her?"

'_I didn't come here for you. I came for Jordan._' His own words flashed in his head.

"Seven months ago." He decided. He'd told her at the bar, rubbing his hands up and down her back. He'd told her on the couch, cuddled up against her shoulder. She'd known it then, hell- they'd both known it then.

"Well." Sarcastic Tone, lesson teaching tone. "I can't think of anything that's happened since then that would make her doubt your feelings." Lu made an innocent face at him, shaking her head.

He closed his eyes in defeat. Seeing the hurt that had slipped onto Jordan's startled face when he had yanked himself away from her that day in the hospital.

"She's seeing someone." He whined, feeling like he was loosing his status as the victim in this scenario.

"So are you." She said calmly watching as his eyebrows crunched together.

"I am? That's news to me. Last time I heard you turned me down." He smirked at her.

"She doesn't know that. She hears the same rumors we do." Lu made her point with one last raise of her eyebrow. He nodded, remembering how Jordan had been jealous of his non-relationship with Devan.

"Do you know why I wouldn't date you, Woody?"

"You've seen my psyche and it scared the hell out of you?"

"Besides that." She waved her hands playfully, he shook his head. "Because I knew that if at any moment, Jordan Cavanaugh asked you to come back to her, you would."

"That's not-."

"You belong together. Everyone knows that." He looked down again. "Don't you think if you went to her she'd do the same thing?"

He felt the familiar burn in his chest.

He remembered how at first he thought that pain was from the shooting, only to realize it was from loosing her. He rubbed it absently.

"She's angry at me."

"She's not. She's scared, worried, lonely and lost. Not angry."

"Wow Dr. Phil, that's impressive."

"I'm not blind." She shook her head. "And neither are you." She watched his eyes drop down to his lap. "Go to her. Be calm. Be patient and loving. Be the man she loves. Be 'her Woody'." He looked up at her doubtfully, wondering silently if he still was that man. "He's still there." She told him reading the doubt in his eyes. "You may have changed, but you're not a different man." He watched her stand up. "Let's go. You promised me a party."

"Thanks." He whispered to her.

"For what? For not sleeping with you?" She teased with a sly grin.

"For getting through to me." He said after a dramatic roll of his eyes.

"It's my job." She shrugged. "It's why they pay me the big bucks."

* * *

(at the party)

His eyes took in the scene as he said hello to his friends. He watched her eyes as she introduced Lu, watching the subtle way her chest moved. She was hurt that he had brought Tallulah, hurt that she liked Tallulah.

When Pollak spoke, his eyes had gone straight to him, burrowing his hateful gaze deep into his skull like a miners drill. He wanted to knock his hand off Jordan's tiny shoulder. He wanted to kill him for how he'd talked about Jordan like she was a sexual conquest.

He'd heard the song start while he walked back to the table with the drinks he'd ordered for them. He winced inwardly. G16. He remembered the last time he had heard it. It was after Malden. She'd been scared. He remembered how he'd whispered the chorus in her ear as she clung to him and cried.

_I'll stand by you  
I'll stand by you  
Won't let nobody hurt you  
I'll stand by you  
Take me in into your darkest hour  
And I'll never desert you  
I'll stand by you  
_

When she hadlooked up at him he wasn't sure he'd make it through the song intact. But hell, Jordan Cavanaugh may never have asked him to dance again. He couldn't refuse one last dance with her.

* * *

Garret Macy turned the scotch in his glass around in his hand, watching the ice swirl in circles and hoping it would create a drain for him to escape into. JD Pollak was single-handedly the most arrogant son of a bitch Garret had met in a long time. He had taken a quick drink as Woodyhad walked in, wondering what in the hell Jordan could possibly see in Pollak. It wasn't until he and Woody had squared off about Jordan's drink that he realized it. He was the anti-Woody. Where Woody obeyed, Pollak challenged. Where Woody pushed, Pollak avoided. The darker parts of her that Woody loved so deeply were a complete unknown to Pollak. He was safe. She would never love him. He could never hurt her.

"What the hell?" Garret turned his face towards the Aussie while he spoke. "Do you believe this guy?"

Macy watched Woody and Jordan dance for a second before he smirked at the reporter.

"What?" Pollak questioned.

"You don't have a clue do you?" Garret growled, taking another gulp and shaking his foggy head.

"Enlighten me Doctor." He said sharply.

"You.." Garret shook his head again. "Will never be him." He pointed towards the detective. He watched Pollak's face harden and smirked again.

"Apparently he wasn't what she wanted, or she'd be with him." He snapped smugly. Garret looked up calmly, rolling his lazy eyes towards the dance floor where they clung to each other for dear life.

"Looks like she's still with him to me." He observed. Behind Pollak he saw Tallulah Simmon's smile slyly. He winked at her.

Pollak rose with Garret's observation, nearly slamming into Woody's partner as she purposefully blocked his path.

* * *

(The next day)

"What's going on with Woody?" Lily rushed around the corner to the confrence room. Nigel was on the phone, his hand in the air.

"Are you sure, Luv?" Lily turned to Bug.

"Apparently he's okay." He told her.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. She just ran out of here without a word. We didn't even know what happened until Detective Simmon's called to see if we had any news.

"Oh God, not again." Lily looked from Bug to Nigel.

"They've already released him."

"That's a relief!" She shook her head. "Jordan still must be terrified. Did you call Sydney?"

"We wanted to wait until we knew." He told her shaking his head.

"All right then." Nigel said loudly. "Give Woodrow our love. We're glad you're both okay. You take your time we'll hold down the fort." Nigel's eyes were twinkling when he hung up the phone. He grinned at them.

"Well?" Bug rolled his eyes.

"They're okay." Nigel's grin widened.

"He's all right?" Bug shook his head.

"Yes." Nigel said suspitously. "A few stiches." He looked at Lily. "Like I said though.. they're okay."

Lily smiled in understanding.

"You think she'll let him get to second base now?" Nigel asked her.

"Are you kidding me?" Bug looked from Lily to Nigel with his mouth open. "They've never.." He watched his friends shake their heads. "Well that explains why Woody's so high strung."

"Where the hell is Jordan?" Garrets loud voice made them jump. Lily wondered when he'd become someone who made them uncomfortable.

"She's.. Woody was hurt." Nigel tried to explain. "She got called to the hospital."

"Is he all right?" There was a sudden stillness to his words. They had all thought of last time, but he and Lily had actually been there during his surgery. They had watched Jordan crumble.

"He's fine." Lily laid her hand on Garret's arm. "They're already at home." He nodded in relief before his stony expression returned.

"When is she coming back?"

"Well.. ah.. I told her not to worry about it." Nigel clamped his teeth shut and sucked air in through them.

"Last time I checked I was still in charge around here." He muttered turning and walking back to his office.

Damn it. He thought pulling the scotch bottle out of the drawer and filling the glass. When had he lost control? When did Jordan stop confiding in him? He picked up the phone and dialed her number. He could pretend to be concerned about Woody. It sent him straight to voice mail. He slammed the phone back down.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Wow she sounded pissed.

"Lily." He muttered.

"Now way, don't you 'Lily' me. We tell you Woody was taken to the hospital and you ask when Jordan's coming back to work?"

"You said he was fine."

"Don't you think after last time she might be a little upset? That she might actually want to spend some time with him?"

"You never know with the two of them." He growled.

"Yes you do." Lily snapped. "You know how she feels about him. You know she'd drop everything and go to him if he needed her."

He took a deep breath.

"Lily did you need something?" He asked in irritation.

"Yeah." She shook her head. "But I'm not going to find it here." She turned on her heals and stomped away. Leaving Garret to wonder when she had turned into Jordan.


	2. One for the road

**One more for the road

* * *

**

(Takes place between Christmas Miracle and The Road From Here to There.)

"Oh Damn." Bug whispered to himself, not again. "Seely."

"Dr. V!" Matt Seely spun around to face the ME. "So, another weekend, you me, a dead body." Seely waved his hands between them. Bug rolled his eyes.

"What do we have?" He would just stick to the facts and that would be it. He'd escape the Seely trap.

"Dead Chick." Matt shrugged and Bug rolled his eyes back towards him again.

"Anything else?"

"ID says Belynda Van Meter. A thirty year's old, parents reported her hand her brother missing two weeks ago." He gestured to the body. "Looks personal."

"I'll say." He looked at the beaten corps, holding up her perfectly manicured hand.

"Was it the beating?" Matt said raising his eyebrows and pointing at a small hole in the back of her head. "Or the bullet?"

"It's my job to figure that out." Bug mumbled.

"So, sibling rivalry on steroids?" Seely raised his eye brows.

"That's your job." Bug mumbled again.

"Bug what are you doing after work?" Seely looked away when he said this.

"Seely are you asking me out?" Bug said flatly.

"Bug, Lu Simmons and I are going to O'Mally's for a beer." He smirked. "This is our sixth consecutive weekend working together. Which means we have no lives. Which means you should join us at O'Mally's. Seeing as you also have no life." Bug was going to protest before he shook his head in defeat.

"Can Sydney come?" Bug asked sheepishly.

"Sure. You on call?" He asked as Bug started back to the van.

"Yeah." He called back to him.

"Me too. We'll watch them get drunk and sloppy." Bug smiled when he got in the van. He was beginning to see a whole new side of Matt Seely.

* * *

( That night at O'Mally's)

"So she shoots both of you down and then hooked up with ADA Brandau? Lu Simmon's swirled her drink around in her hand habitually. It made it impossible for Matt to take his eyes off of her. It was like a cat and dangling yarn. Sydney wondered if Matt knew he was in love with her yet.

"She didn't turn me down." Matt grunted. "We went out a couple of times. She wasn't my type. Life goes on." Nope, not a clue. "Dr. V's the one who's all wrapped up in her bohemian blouse." He chucked his thumb at Bug.

"Shut up Sparky." Bug hissed.

"You too?" Simmon's laughed. "Who coined the nick name?"

"Woody and Jordan." Sydney laughed. "I don't know who said it first. Sounds like Jordan, but Woody can surprise you sometimes."

Matt was shaking his head in feigned irritation. Sydney knew he liked the nick name, it made him part of the group. He had personal experience with this.

"Don't worry Matt they stopped calling Sydney "New Guy" this will pass." Bug told him.

"They're double dating you know." Matt said after a few seconds. He looked at Bug. "Lily and AD Dork. And the Hoyts."

"Jordan will kick your ass and Woody's if you start calling them the Hoyts." Sydney warned.

Matt's eyes never left Bug's. He nodded in acknowledgment of his statement. He knew. He'd heard Woody moaning to Jordan about how weird Brandau was.

"_I swear to God Jordan, if you two keep leaving me alone with him so you can go to the bathroom and do all your secret girlie stuff? I'm gonna crack Jordan. I mean it."_

He watched Matt rub his hand across his face, and wondered why Lily was so hard to get over.

* * *

"So Jordan. I guess Woody's been keeping you posted on the pool?" Jeffery Brandau adjusted his glasses compulsivly when he spoke. It drove Jordan crazy. She could care less about the betting pool. Until she saw Woody's face pale.

"Actually Brandau, I don't think she'd -." Her boyfriend began.

"The pool?" Jordan asked gamely watching Woody squirm.

"You know 'will they won't they'. You pick a date and then decided if you two will-."

"Jeffery." Lily hushed him with wide eyes.

"No hey Lil. It's just getting interesting." Jordan said smirking between Brandau and Woody. "Go on." She told him wagging her eyebrows.

Brandau hesitated before continuing with a little less gusto. "Then you decide if you two will be engaged or break up." She turned her wide eyes to Woody. He hung his head and looked at her from under his eyelids in the way he did when he knew he was in trouble. He'd never mentioned the pool.

"Wow," She nodded. "That's… detailed."

Woody grunted uncomfortably and looked at Lily who smiled sympathetically.

"Hey Lil, will you come with me to the ladies room?" Lily nodded Jordan glanced back at Woody. "Secret girlie stuff." Woody rolled his eyes ad tossed his head to the side.

"Did I say something wrong?" Jeffery asked Woody scrunching up his face and shaking his head.

"Nah." Woody looked up in time to see Jordan glare at him. "So," he took a drink. "Who's got today?"


	3. Roadside Assistance

**Roadside Assistance**.

This takes place during "The road from here to there"

* * *

(at the bar) 

"You have got to be kidding me?" Matt Seely had never laughed so hard at anything in his life.

"Never?" Lu choked out trying not to send beer flying across the room. "Not ever?"

"Nope." Sydney shook his head grinning. "She made him wait."

"Damn! She kept her shit locked up like a-." Seely began.

"Sparky!" Bug yelled over the laughter.

"God that explains so much." Matt dropped his head back, shaking it at the ceiling.

"She makes him wait four years.." Lu stopped gasping for breath. "Then she makes him wait four months? God I'm almost guilty I didn't sleep with him now!"

"Hey! She wanted to be sure." Sydney put his palms up, widened his eyes and opened his mouth with the slightest shake of his head as he said this. He looked just like Woody.

"Oh my God!" Seely laughed, slamming back his drink. "Do it again!"

"Jordan." Sydney squinted his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know how.."He pulled his hand away his fingers still pinched together and started moving it in short chops. "I let you talk me into this stuff."

"Oo! Oo! Let me try, let me try!" Lu Simmon's screeched waving her hands around her face before becoming serious. She scowled her best Woody scowl and narrowed her eyes dramatically. "When I catch this guy, Jordan? When I catch this guy? I'm gonna nail him to the wall." She ran her hand over her scalp.

"That's enough." Bug said loudly holding up his drink. Everyone turned to him cautiously. "Leave the poor frustrated man alone." His lopsided grin slowly appeared, as he tipped his glass forward. "Lets do Jordan next."

* * *

(Brants restaurant.) 

"So." Lily looked across the table at Natalie before nodding. "You work at-? Wait. Where do you work again?"

"Holistic Occasions." She nodded. "I do aura cleansing." Lily nodded slowly turning her frozen grin to Jeffery. His eyebrows hit the rims of his glasses.

"Natalie is **the** best, Luv." Nigel said. "I swear, I have never had a cleansing like the one she gave me last night." He grinned slyly chomping down on the long piece of celery from his drink. He'd been wagging it at the ADA while he spoke. "I mean. I've never been this clean, if you know what I mean."

Lily nodded again, tilting her head to the side and biting her lip slightly.

"No. I don't think I have any idea what you mean." Brandau sputtered. Lily nudged him. "But it sounds.. nice."

"I could do you?" Natalie offered bringing her hands forward. Nigel looked at him with a wide eyed look of enthusiasm.

"Right here?" Brandau choked, almost afraid to look away.

"You're right." She said grinning sweetly. "It's better if your first times in private."

Lily was trying not to laugh now.

"I know Luv!" Nigel cast a look at Natalie before he leaned forward towards Lily. "We can leave here, go back to my place and we can all give it a go together. What do you say?"

Lily's face was still for a moment before her shoulders started to shake. She felt the first laugh escape her mouth and before she knew it she was cracking up right there at the table. Brandau looked at her startled, but she kept laughing. Her hand smacking down on her thigh a few times before she wiped the tears off of her cheeks.

Her dinner mates had frozen in their chairs when she finally looked back up at them. Gasping and sniffing, she licked her lips before pressing them together.

"Sounds nice." She said softly. "But maybe we should wait until Jordan and Woody get back."

* * *

(two months later, Garret's place) 

"Open the door Garret. I know you're in there."

He made a face. He could be sleeping, he could be in the shower or in the middle of an important phone call. How would she know?

"Garret I swear if you don't open this door this second I will have half of the Boston PD up here knocking it off it's hinges!"

He stomped over to the door and swung it open.

"I don't think the tax payers would take it too kindly if you started using the police as your own personal posse, Renee." He told her stiffly.

"I'll take my chances, Macy." She looked him over quickly. "You look like hell."

"Thank you Renee it's nice seeing you again too." She stared at him stone faced. "If this is about what happened in court.."

"If by what happened, you mean almost getting a spoiled rotten rich boy put back on the streets after stabbing his date to death in his hotel room," She turned away and went to the window. "then no."

"No?" She turned around slowly when he said this. Wondering if the surprise in his tone was any indication of how little he knew what she felt for him.

"No. This is personal." She told him, moving forward and taking the drink from his hand. "It's.." She held up the glass. "Personal."

"Renee. I already got the lecture from Jordan. In front of my daughter, so I'd rather not have it again here with you." He went to take the drink back but she pulled it closer to her body.

"I'm worried about you Garret." She touched his arm lightly.

"Why Renee?" He asked honestly.

"Do you really have to ask me that?" She'd been trying not to sound hurt, but when his eyes had slipped down to the floor, she knew she'd failed. She shook her head slowly.

"Shouldn't you get home to the baby, Renee?" She looked away smiling and shaking her head.

"Ahh.. yes. The baby." She looked back up at him. "He has a name Garret. Do you even know his name?"

"Should I?" He sniped. She knew what he was doing, trying to hurt her, trying to push her away.

"Maybe, maybe not." She kept her face straight. "I'm not here to talk about my son."

"No, you're here for personal reasons." He went to the bar poured himself another scotch, tipping it towards her before he took a drink.

She set the one in her hand down and walked across the floor to him. He didn't move from his spot until she was an inch away and then all he could do was pull his head back from her. Her eyes searched his intently.

"Are you even still in there?" She asked her voice wavering a little. "Cause I can't seem to find you." She took the scotch from his hand and drank it before walking back across the floor and out the door.

He looked down at the empty glass, sighing before he started to refill it.

* * *

"I'm worried about her Dr. M." Bug said slowly. "She's missed more work in the last few months then she has the entire time she's worked here. What ever this is? She just can't seem to shake it." 

Garret looked at him and then turned and looked at the doors.

"I talked to Woody. He says she'll see a doctor." Garret looked back at them.

"Then you know she's sick." Nigel said in sudden concern. "I think I'll have another chat with her."

"Guy's come on. Lets let Woody handle it." Lily said defensively. She knew that the last thing that would make Jordan feel better was a chat with Nigel. She'd been honored when Woody had discreetly told her the little secret, now she was just tired of keeping it. "Jordan's a doctor too, you know? She's not going to ignore the warning signs of something serious." They all exchanged glances.

"Maybe she should have her aura cleansed." Bug tossed a glance a Nigel.

"Maybe you could use a good cleansing." Nigel replied in a suggestive voice. "I could call Detective Framus for you if you'd like? I hear she's at the 12th now."

Bug snorted.

"Roz Framus would break you like a tooth pick." Garret snickered at Bug. Nigel pulled his lips inside his mouth and widened his eyes. Sydney was laughing so hard from the other side of the room that no one had heard Woody slip in the door.

"I thought we were talking about Jordan and her mystery illness?" Bug said looking slowly and pointedly from Garret to Nigel.

"Mystery solved Boys!" Woody said quickly. Lily looked up at him hopefully. "It's Mono."

"It's what?" Garret asked looking at him like he'd just lost his mind. Lily rolled her eyes at Woody who shrugged his shoulders at her.

"The kissing disease? The kissing disease is what brought down Jordan Cavanaugh?" Nigel scoffed.

"Come on!" Jordan exclaimed coming in behind Woody. " 'Brought down?' I've hardly been 'brought down'. I'm sick. It happens. Especially when you've been kissing Detectives. You don't know where these guys have been." She smirked as Woody shook his head. "I'll be fine and so will all of you, unless you kiss me." She puckered her lips and made kissy faces at her coworkers until Woody pulled her back.

"Okay enough." He laughed. "Work for you. More specifically paper work for you." He turned her towards the door and gave her a push.

"You gave your girlfriend the kissing disease?" Nigel said slowly.

"Where'd you get it?" Garret asked flatly.

"Who knows?" Woody tossed his hands up in the air mysteriously. "You can get it anywhere. I think she got it on an elevator personally." Lily rolled her eyes again and followed Jordan out of the doors.

"Been cleansing other peoples auras, Woodrow?" Bug asked quickly. Woody looked at Sydney who just laughed at his confusion.

"I'll tell you at lunch." He called as he walked back towards trace.

"Humm…" Nigel said suspiciously. "You two are getting awfully close. Maybe he's the carrier. Bug, get a culture on Sydney will you?"

Woody shook his head again and walked away.

* * *

(the bar two moremonths later) 

"Hey. We're the first ones here?" Lu asked sitting down at the table by Matt Seely.

"Nah, Mass casualty today. Lots of Identification stuff. The guys are stuck at the morgue. It's just you and me." She looked at him for a long time before she smiled. "What?"

"I'm just surprised that you still came." She told him touching the rim of the beer the waitress had just set in front of her.

"Why?" He laughed shaking his head back and forth. "Why would you think I wouldn't come?" He watched how she shyly brushed her hair from her shoulder.

"I don't know. I just didn't think you liked me all that much. You know?" He watched as she started to spin the glass in little circles, feeling it start to hypnotize him. "The whole 'Lucy' thing.. I just thought that you didn't-."

He put his hand over hers to stop the movement. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You don't want me to call you-."

"No. I mean.. I don't mind it.." He smiled at the way she tripped over her words. He pulled the drink out of her hands and set it on the table so he couldturn her shoulders to face him. "Matt? What's-?" He stopped her question with a kiss. When their lips broke apart the starred at each other for a minute before he grinned again.

"So, You and Woody got anything new on the Van Meter case?" She asked quietly, looking at her hands before she shot a quick glance to his face. He was still smiling.

"You really want to talk about work, Lucy?" He said slowly, still holding onto her shoulders. She shook her head before slowly bringing her lips to his.

Somewhere in his mind he heard Bug's monotoned voice.

"_Sparky and Lucy sitting in a tree…"_

He really needed to get cooler friends.


	4. Anywhere but the bank

**Anywhere but the bank**

(takes place during Back to the Bank)

"Jordan." Woody leaned back against the wall, turning his head towards the locked door. "Jordan open the door." He thumped his head back against the wall.

"I'm not done talking about this." He called to her squinting his eyes tightly.

"Jordan? I have to go. Come on Jordan please?" He could hear her moving around pacing, moving things around the sink. He knew if he had more time he could lure her out but he didn't.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to work now. I'll talk to you when I get home. Try to be out of the bathroom by then okay?"

* * *

"What's your day look like?" Lu Simmons mumbled craning her head to the side.

"Luce, _concentrate_." Matt mumbled against her neck. She squirmed nervously against him.

"Matt, Woody's going to be here any second."

"So?" He moved his lips to her throat, she ran her fingers across his choppy red spikes. "Like we haven't had enough of him and DR. C?" He lifted his face to hers and kissed her.

"They've never made out in front of us." She argued in vain as his hands moved up her shirt and across the soft skin of her back.

"I don't see anyone." He whispered his lips smacking against hers. "Do you?" Her hands moved up to his neck pressing her mouth into his. She felt him move closer, she pressed her body against his.

"Luce we still have to go to work you know. She grinned at the slight alarm benieth his smug voice.

"Shut up Sparky." She mumbled turning her lips to his ear, his body molded against hers before stiffened suddenly gripping her shoulders tightly.

"Hoyt." He looked up sheepishly.

"Morning." Woody said quickly shaking his head back and forth. "Can I have my desk back please?" Lu closed her eyes as Matt slipped them off the corner of the desk.

"Sure." She said weakly, smoothing out her blouse. Matt reached over and closed an open button. Her fingers fumbled over his. Woody just shook his head, smirking humorously. Lu tried to memorize the expression for the bar that night.

Woody grabbed the Lysol off of the shelf and sprayed the corner where they'd been sitting.

"Don't you have an office Sparky?" He growled moving the stacks of papers meaninglessly around his desk.

"Yeah, but Santana would have a fit if we-. Oh." He said suddenly realizing Woody wanted him to leave. "Yeah. I should go.. see about that.. thing." He gave Simmons a kiss on the cheek and hurried out the door.

"Well, that was subtle." Lu said blinking her eyes at him.

"So was making out on my desk." He snapped.

"I do actually believe I found a pair of Jordan's underwear in the filing cabinet last summer so.."

"Oh God, tell me you didn't tell Seely that." Woody whispered dramatically.

"No!" _But I will tonight after work_. She thought. She watched him return to the meaningless paper moving. "Woody? Something wrong?" He dropped the pile in his hands and shut the door walking towards her.

"If I had been chasing you for like five years, and we'd finally gotten together, would you think that I only wanted to marry you because I got you pregnant?"

"Gosh Woody, I'm flattered but I'm kind of seeing someone right now.." She said smiling sheepishly. He rolled his eyes bobbing his head up towards the ceiling.

"Forget it." He walked back to the desk.

"Jordan thinks you only want to marry her because of the baby?"

"That's what she says. I don't know if that's the actual reason." He flopped down on the sofa. "So anyway.. I was trying to reason with her this morning, but-. Have you ever tried reasoning with a pregnant woman?" He blew air out of his cheeks and shook his head remorsefully.

"What did you say?" She sighed giving him a 'you dumb-ass' look.

"I may have said something about how getting her pregnant may have been the only way I could have ever gotten her to marry me." He closed his eyes after hearing the words again. Lu smacked him in the chest. "Ouch." He whined before huffing out a frustrated noise. "I'm an idiot. She locked herself in the bathroom and wouldn't talk to me."

"She'll calm down by lunch." Tallulah said reassuringly. "Bring her pasta, she'll forget you ever said a thing." He raised an eyebrow at her when she walked away from the couch. "Are you going to talk to the bank guard?" He made a face. "The Anderson Case? Work, Woody? Dead people? Cops and Robbers? Bang, Bang?"

"You know, you've become a real comic since you started sleeping with Seely. You know that?"

"I'm going back to talk to the mother again. Can I trust you to go see the guard all by yourself?" He shot her an evil glare. "I know this Jordan being off of field calls thing is killing you. Everyone knows she was the brain to your brawn."

"Your boyfriend's pond scum!" He quipped at her as she grabbed her purse and walked out the door.

"Get some new material while you're gone, Hoyt." He snickered at her before grabbing keys and heading out behind her.

* * *

Garret Macy grit his teethprobably in an attempt to keep from ripping the phone out of the negotiator's hand. The detective behind him decided.

"This is ridiculous." He grunted.

"Let Susan work on him for a while Dr. M, she's the best." Matt Seely had been watching him for a while now. Wondering if it was concern for Hoyt or simply the need for a scotch on the rocks that was making him even surlier than usual.

"He doesn't have 'a while' Seely." He growled at him.

Matt backed up and hit Tallulah on speed dial.

"Hey Luce, how is she?" He asked quietly glancing at Santana who was talking frantically with the swat team.

"_She'd be a lot better if you're calling me to tell me you got him out."_

"Not yet." He rubbed at his temple with his palm. "He's hurt, Luce."

He could hear take a slow deep breath. The kind she'd been telling him to take before he feels like he may say something he doesn't mean.

"_Can Susan get him out of there_?"

"She's trying."

"_Is he conscious_?" Her voice betrayed her a little.

"I don't know Babe. I'll put Macy on he talked to him." He listened to her ragged breath. "You gotta be strong for her Lucy. You can't fall apart."

"_Matt_?" She whispered breathlessly.

"Yeah?" He had been waiting for this.

"_It could have been me_." She told him. "_It's my witness_."

"It's not your fault." He reminded her. "It could have been any of us. We don't work in a grade school cafateria, we take risks."

"_Matt_?" She repeated.

"What?" He asked her gently.

"_I love you_." She said quickly.

"I love you too, Tallulah." He said firmly, listening to her quiet sniffs as she regained control. He couldn't remember ever loving anyone like this. "I'm gonna put on Macy now, Babe."

"_Be careful_." She begged.

"Will do." He pulled the phone away from his face reluctantly. Before looking at Macy. "Simmons needs an update for Jordan." He watched the expression in the ME's eyes change when he met his own. He wondered what expression he had on. He wondered how the Matt Seely who knew his girlfriend loved him looked.

"Sparky?" He turned around to look at his partner. "You okay?" He nodded grinning at her. "Swat wants to brief us. The Chief's going to send them in once Macy gets Woody stable." He looked back towards the team, before running his hands down his kevlar. It amazed him how much having something to live for made him want to stay alive.

He gave Santana a nod and followed her over to the team.

* * *

(at the bar, the same day)

"Hey." Sydney called to Matt and Lu as they walked into the bar. "How is he?"

"He's doing better." Lu said sitting down next to him. "I thought you'd be up there."

"I'll go in the morning. I wanted to give Jordan some time to calm down a little. She's been so paranoid about him getting hurt lately I'm sure this pushed her over the edge. I mean I love the girl, but she's driving me nuts." Sydney shook his head. "Woody and I went to the Sox game last week? She called him four times in three hours."

Lu smiled at him.

"When they love you.." Matt said with a new found softness. "They worry." He looked at Tallulah like she was a Goddess.

"God. Who unleashed your inner Woody." Bugs dry voice called from behind them as he slipped into the seat across from Lu. "How's he doing?"

"He's going to be fine." Matt answered. Bug nodded.

"I swear it's like he's cursed or something." Sydney said shaking his head. For a moment, he remembered carrying Woody's bullet torn not so bullet proof vest back from the crime scene. It was before they'd become so close. Sydney wondered if it wasn't part of the reason why. All of the sudden, he could see why Jordan might need to call four times a game. He looked at his table mates, wondering when his world had become one that included his friends getting shot at.

Bug ordered them another round. For the first time in a long time, no one was telling jokes, or talking about the crazy thing that happened at work. They all simply sat giving each other meaningful looks over their drinks.


	5. Banking on the Future

**Banking on the future**

(During B2TB until right before R&R)

* * *

"Hey. What are you avoiding me or something?" Woody laughed as Sydney wandered into the room. "Where you been?" 

"I was here, you were out like a light, Sleeping Beauty." He said rolling his eyes a little. "And hey, someone has to fill in for your girlfriend at the morgue so she can keep her bedside vigil. Unless you'd rather I.."

"Nice try. You're not hot enough. A fine looking detective like me needs a hot girl in his room, it's more PR than anything.." Woody smirked.

"Okay okay.. What's your news. The guys said you had news." He rolled his eyes at him.

"What do you have going on tonight?" Woody said trying to act casual. Sydney's face scrunched up suspiciously.

"Don't tell me you talked Jordan into going home?" He raised his eyebrows over his glasses.

"No.. but I um.. may have talked her into something else." Woody was smiling like a fool now and it was making Sydney nervous.

"Woods what are you-.?"

"I was thinking maybe you could come back later and we could hang out. Jordan and I could get married, maybe you could even have my back?"

"Woody?"

"Hand me the ring.. make sure I don't fall over.. that kind of thing?"

"You and Jordan?"

"Tonight in the chapel." Woody nodded.

"When's the baby due?" Sydney joked, his smile slipping off of his face as Woody's got wider.

"January 13th."

"You lying dog!" Sydney admonished slapping the bed, Woody jumped back laughing at his friend. "I believed the Mono story. Some doctor I am! I can't even diagnose pregnancy!" He looked slyly at his friend for a moment before shaking his grinning head. "You knocked up Jordan Cavanaugh?"

Woody pressed his lips together, raising his eyebrows in fake modesty.

"Yep."

He adjusted his glasses, slowly shaking his head again.

"Does this mean you'll be my best man?" He was looking at him with that smirking innocent face that made women want to do things for him. Sydney resented that face, he envied that face.

"Yeah, of course, if you're sure."

"About you or Jordan?" Woody laughed.

"Sure that you don't want me to call him..." Sydney said seriously in a hushed tone. "Cause I can…" Woody shook his head calmly.

"No." He looked towards the hall. "Jordan and I talked about it.. I can't do it. I can't bring Cal back into my life. I have to think about Jordan and the baby.. I have to put their safety first." Sydney nodded. "No, you're more of a brother to me than he ever was." Sydney shook his head slowly.

"I'll be the older brother that you never had." He dropped his raised eyebrows, refusing to let Woody write off his brother all together.

Woody made a face.

There was a soft knock at the door and Sydney glanced up to see Tallulah Simmon's in the doorway.

"Hey Partner." Woody said brightly. "Back so soon? I'd have thought Lily would have had you making napkin swans or something by now."

Sydney smiled as Lu rolled her eyes.

"I got measured, I escaped. They don't needed me. They've got command central in the family waiting room.." She flopped down in the chair by his bed. "Actually I came for Sydney." She told them. "Matt needs you back at the morgue and he's getting nutty. Macy wants you to do the guards autopsy. He doesn't really think he qualifies as the answering ME since he never even looked at the body." She chucked her finger towards Woody. "He was to busy keeping Romeo here alive."

Sydney nodded.

"See you around five?" Woody asked.

"If I were you, I'd check in with Lily 'the wedding planner' Lebowski for further instructions." Sydney grimaced. "Who's wrath do you want? Sparky's or Lily's."

"Take Sparky's man." Woody warned. "Lily looks sweet.. but don't get in the way of that girl and her plans." Sydney laughed as he wandered out in the hall in search of Lily.

* * *

Woody turned his eyes to his partner. 

"Okay what?" He asked her. "You've been skulking around here for days trying to get me alone. Mission accomplished Simmons, spill it."

"I almost got you killed." She said bluntly before looking at her hands. He made a exasperated noise.

"Our job almost got me killed Tallulah." He reminded. Seely had told him this was coming.

"It was my witness." She moaned.

"You're my partner!" He reminded.

"You have a baby and a wife to think of!" She snapped.

"A wife who has almost gotten me and herself killed on many, many occasions." He laughed. "Besides, you kept Jordan safe. You don't know her well enough to know what a feet that was Lu, keeping her there like that."

Lu looked down for a few more seconds before casting her eyes up to Woody's face.

"She.. she adores you. She made me realize.." Lu smiled slowly. "I told Matt I loved him." She expected him to grimace or smirk or something. All he did was grin.

"He say it back?" She nodded. "Smart man."

"I know you don't like him but-." She started.

"I like him." He sighed rolling his eyes. "I like him just fine. Jordan likes him."

"She says he reminds her of you in the beginning, just less sweet and innocent."

"Then what naïve?" She nodded at him.

"And cocky." Lu smiled.

"I'm not sure I like you two being friends." He told her shaking his head. She grinned, this was going to be fun.

* * *

(at the morgue after the wedding)

There he'd done it. He'd given her away. She was gone and that was that.

He sucked back the scotch in his hand. He'd waved off the gang's request to join them at the couple-less reception at O'Mally's. Handing Brandau back his two hundred dollars, he told them to have a few rounds on him.

"Are you going to be this despondent when you give Abby away?" Her voice startled him.

_Maybe, if it's to someone like Chad._

"What do you want Renee?" He growled.

"I went to O'Mally's. Lily thought you might be feeling a little 'Steve Martian in 'Father of the Bride." She tapped the scotch bottle and he snached it away. "Looking a little more Nicolas Cage in 'Leaving Las Vegas' to me."

"Cute Renee." He growled.

"You know the whole family history of alcoholism.. codependency.. enabling.. it's not lost on me Garret." She sat down across from him in the visitors chair.

"Is this an intervention? Are all my nearest and dearest waiting in the Crypt to tell me how my drinking's hurt them?" He snapped at her sarcastically.

"No." She said softly. "They're at the bar, celebrating, living there lives.. and it kills you." He expected to look up and see her sneering at him. She wasn't she was just staring. "Even Jordan jumped ship. She doesn't need you to bail her out anymore."

"She hasn't needed me to bail her out in a long time." Garret grumbled, waving his hand at her in a dismissing gesture.

"But now it's official." Renee leaned in towards him.

"What do you want Renee?"

"I wanted to see what was so pressing you couldn't be with your friends." She looked at the scotch raising her perfect eyebrows. "Now I see."

"Great, you've seen. Now you can go." She chuckled a little before standing up and walking to the door.

"It's costing you your friends.. your family." She told him shaking her head slowly. "Sooner or later it's going to cost you your job." She looked at him sadly before turning around and walking out the door. "Hope it's worth it Garret."

* * *

He ran his wet hands across his face and leaned towards the mirror. 

"Max?" A voice called from the hallway.

"Just a minute." He dried his hands and wandered out into the his room. Don Chetley was sitting on a chair holding the local interest section of The Boston Globe in his hands.

"One of the new borders brought this to me today. Heard your last name was Cavanaugh, recognized the accent. Thought this might be a relation of yours." He handed the big man the paper. "I tried to tell him Cavanaugh was a pretty common name but.." He trailed off when he saw Max's face.

"It's my daughter." Max said absently looking at the paper.

_Hospital Wedding for Local Hero. _

He looked at the picture, Jordan and Woody, standing in front of Father Paul, locked in a kiss. He skimmed the article.

_Homicide detective, AME, homicide suspect, guard shot dead during questioning, extensive head injuries, full recovery expected. _

_Bride was given away by CME Garret Macy._

He looked up at Don, then back at Jordan's picture. Until that moment, he'd never considered that things would move on without him while he was gone. Stupidly, he figured Boston his daughter, her and Woody's relationship, would just sit in a forever state of limbo.

"Your daughter?" Don said softly. "Your daughter got married?" Max nodded never talking his eyes off of the picture. "Do you know the guy?"

"Wha-?" Max looked back up. "Oh, yeah, he's a good guy.. the best. He's good for her. He'd do anything for her, waited a long time for her."

"So, do you want me to hold your room for you?" Don asked pointedly. "You can call me from Boston, tell me when you're coming?" Max started to argue, until he looked back down at the words.

_Bride was given away by CME Garret Macy. _

"Yeah." Max sputtered. He had to go back.

* * *

Nigel looked across his apartment, watching Natalie laugh at something Bug had said. He watched his friends face brake into an amused smile. It made the Brit grin. He liked her, and that was more important to Nigel than he had expected. 

"I should be going." He smacked the sleeping Sydney in the arm. "Let's go."

"I was just resting my eyes." The other man adjusted his glasses before pulling himself off the couch.

"It's common," Natalie smiled softly at him everyone looked at her. "After a cleansing, to be tired."

"It's also common after three hours at O'Mally's and half a bottle of Cabernet at Nigel's." Bug smiled again, as he and Sydney shuffled out the door. "I better get sleeping beauty here home."

"Who would have thunk?" Nigel said his sarcastic expression, the one he used to bait his best friend, slipping over his face. "Our Bug gets to be the lucky Bridesmaid that takes the Best Man home." Sydney laughed drunkenly at Bugs eye narrowing smirk. "Be gentle with him, Mate." He implored Sydney who laughed harder as he closed the door behind him. He glanced at Natalie. "Did you have a good time, Luv?"

She smiled and nodded her head.

"I like your friends." She told him shyly.

"They like you." He assured her. "They're not the easiest crowd to impress you know." He put his arms around her.

"Am I the one?" She asked suddenly. He opened his mouth, taking in her lovely expression. "I heard Bug tell Lily.. that I.." She looked away biting her lip. He smoothed his hands over her shoulders and up to her face.

She lifted her eyes back to him and he smiled, nodding wordlessly, his hair shaking from the sides of his head.

"Could I possibly.. be the one.. too?" He asked her stumbling over his words. She bit her lip again and nodded. "Good to know, Luv." He said nonchalantly, before impulsively sweeping her off of her feet and heading towards his bedroom as she squealed. "Good to know."


	6. Risking it

**Risking It**

(takes place during risk and resilience)

* * *

(at the bar.)

"And then there were two." Bug said casting his flat gaze to Sydney.

"It's just one night." Sydney told him. Bug saw how he looked at the two empty chairs as he spoke though.

"No. Face it. We're out of the loop. They've been sucked into couple land along with everyone else. It's just you and me now." When had he gotten so used to being friends with Matt Seely that he missed him when he was gone.

"_He says, whining in abandonment_." Sydney shook his head. "This isn't about Matt and Lu anyway."

"Enlighten me?" Bug muttered.

"Could it have anything to do with Lily announcing her engagement?" Bug looked away. "We could talk about it. If you want to?"

"There's nothing to say." Bug growled. "Nothing."

"You could tell her.." Sydney gestured, rolling his hand in a circular motion towards his friend.

"I have." Bug admitted. "It didn't make any difference."

Sydney's head bobbed down. "Sorry man."

"Why? You haven't done anything." He glanced around looking towards the door. "You're the only one still sitting here with me." Sydney shook his head, wondering how much of a pity party he should let the other man throw for himself. "Who would have thought?"

Sydney had thought about it. How he and Bug had been at each others throats the first few months. He might have even said something about it, if the doors hadn't opened, distracting him from his thoughts.

* * *

(earlier at Brants)

Matt Seely was bored. He glanced at Woody, he looked equally bored.

"Ooo.. I like that one." Tallulah, leaned over and put her finger on the pale purple fabric swatch. Lily lifted her eyes to Jordan who shrugged.

"I would go really well with the flower arrangements." She told her friend.

"But what could I accent the tux's with?" Lily said shaking her head, her mouth falling slightly open as she rolled her eyes. "I don't know how to make these decisions!"

"You had no problems making them for our Wedding." Woody smirked raising his glass to his lips. His smirk fell away as both his wife and partner glared at him. "And you did a wonderful job." He added raising his eyebrows to Jordan. She let the edge of her mouth slip up a little.

"You could do this?" Lu tapped a purplish blue swatch.

Woody nudged Seely, pointing to Lu and making a face. "You're good at this Tallulah." He said raising his eyebrows at Seely who glared back at him.

Matt cocked his head towards Brandau who looked like he was in a comatose state, his eyes vacantly staring at the swatches. He rolled his eyes and looked at his watch. He shot Woody a knowing look, the other detective nodded.

"Lucy?" She looked up at him. "I have to run back by the station." She nodded absently turning back to the swatches. "Jordan? Mind if I take Hubby here with me?" Jordan looked at Woody suspiciously.

"You sure you don't need me too?" She asked almost hopefully.

"Nah. I wouldn't want you to miss wedding stuff." Matt answered. Woody made a face his eyebrows shooting up.

* * *

(at the bar)

Matt Seely saw Sydney look up when he and Woody walked through the door. He lifted his finger to his lips.

"Who would have though even Matt Seely would have gotten a life before me?"

"I would have thought." Matt chuckled swatting at Bug's head with his palm. "It's my sculptures physic and my bad boy persona."

"I thought you were at Brants?" Bug's eyes shot back and forth between him and Woody.

"I was." Matt narrowed his eyes, smirking at his friend. "I escaped. I brought Hoyt with me. He was my human shield. Woody dropped into the chair by Sydney, doing there customary hand shake. Bug rolled his eyes.

"You guys do this every weekend and no one has ever invited me?" He scowled at Sydney before turning to Bug. "I was your friend before Sparky."

"Sparky's not my friend." He growled.

"Awh, come on Bug. Don't deny our love." Matt muttered turning towards the opening doors. "Oh good, you got my message." Nigel stumbled down the steps and sauntered over to the table.

"So what's this case we need to talk about?" He said after nodding his hello's and pulling a chair over between Bug and Woody.

"It's a sad case." Seely shook his head sorrowfully. Woody was trying not to laugh. "Bug's love life."

"That's a cold case, Mate." Nigel grinned. Hoyt lost the thin control he had over his laughter.

"Nige? Did you know they meet here every weekend?" Woody whined after he'd regained control.

"Who?" Nigel looked at each of his friends faces.

"Seely Simmons Sydney and Bug!" He told him incredulously.

"You're joking." He looked at his best friend in betrayal. "How could you?"

Bug smiled his actually smile.

"I'm married not dead." Woody told Sydney.

"Now you've done it." Bug told Matt. "Next week we'll all be sitting here drinking coffee and discussing china patterns."

"Yeah, and we'll still get to take home a beautiful woman and you get to drop off Sydney." Seely grinned back at him.

* * *

(right after Jordan hits the floor in trace and they take her pressure)

"What does that mean?" Woody yelled again.

"Come on." Bug said firmly, gripping Woody's shoulder. "Pick her up." Bug watched how effortlessly Woody swept her off of the floor. "We don't have time to wait."

Woody followed Bug who ran past Nigel clapping his hand briefly on his shoulder.

"Call Matt at the station." He yelled back to him. Lily grabbed her purse and Jordan's running after them.

They met the ambulance at the elevator. Bug snapped orders at the paramedics while Woody stood helplessly beside the stretcher. Nigel watched nervously as the elevator doors closed around them. He walked purposefully towards Jordan's office and picked up the phone.

"Matt Seely?"

"Matt." Nigel's voice choked out of his mouth.

"Nige?" He was immediately alarmed. Nigel never called unless it was case related and there was no case.

"Is Simmons with you?" He asked trying to remain calm.

"She can be, just a minute." He heard him turn away from the phone and walk to the door. "Lucy!" He bellowed down the hall urgently. Nigel heard the other detective's heals clicking into the room. Nigel heard the speaker phone click on. "What's up Nige?"

"Jordan's being taken to hospital." He took a deep breath. "She's.. Her.. blood pressure is.."

"Pre-eclampsia?" Tallulah said breathlessly.

"No, Luv. She had a seizure. She's at 160 over 110, she's.."

"..eclamptic." Simmons finished. "Oh my God."

"What's that mean?" Matt asked helplessly.

"Come on." Lu said softly. "Go find Santana. We have to go."

"Is it serious?" Matt's voice rose a little. Nigel leaned against the desk.

"It's-. She's not going to-. We have to go. We have to be there for Woody." She mumbled.

"Shit." Matt Seely breathed out the word, realizing what his girlfriend meant. "I'll.. I-. Santana!" He called walking further away from the phone.

"Who's with him?" Simmons asked her breath catching in her throat.

"Bug and Lily." Nige croaked. "They just left."

"We'll.. we'll get there as soon as we can." She breathed.

"Call us, Luv?" He asked weakly.

"Of course." He heard Simmon's hang up the phone. He sunk into Jordan's chair and ran his hands through his hair.

_Not good. Not good. Not good at all._

It had taken longer than she expected to get out of the station. They'd had to answer about a thousand questions, inform about a hundred people and find the ever elusive Santana before making it out the doors.

* * *

(in the car)

She'd spent most of the car ride trying not to cry. Matt had one hand on the wheel and the other on her leg. Somewhere along the way he'd turned his siren on. She wiped at her eyes, Seely squeezed her leg.

"Luce, I can't imagine.." His voice trailed off and Lu put her hand on top of his, not letting go until he pulled up to the hospital and she barreled out of the car.

She plowed through the door of the room and found her partner. He turned to her, his chest heaving. She dropped in front of him as he slipped off the chair into her embrace. She felt Matt behind them, putting his hand on Woody's shoulder firmly. He ran his fingers through Tallulah's hair before he moved silently to Jordan, taking her hand for a second before making his way to the hall.

Woody pulled himself up enough to look in her face. She started to cry again when she saw his lost expression.

"What the hell am I going to do?" He looked at Jordan.

"She'll be fine." Simmons told him firmly, pleading to God she wasn't lying. "She'll be fine."

"If Bug wouldn't have figured it out.. they started treating her in the ambulance.. she.. she.. still had another seizure. If he hadn't known what to do.." Hoyt took a staggered breath and peeled his eyes away from his wife.

"But he did. He did, Woody." Woody nodded at her pulling himself back into the chair. Lu walked around to sit on the other side of the bed taking Jordan's hand and stroking her friends fingers. Woody laid his head back down by Jordan's side.

* * *

(in the hallway)

"He never came." Lily whispered to Bug as she Brandau called to say he was downstairs with her car. "What the hell's wrong with him? Sydney called Woody. He didn't even call."

"Maybe the morgue got busy." Bug offered her weakly.

"They're dead. Jordan's not. He should have been here." She stood up hugging Bug and Matt goodbye. "Take care of her."

"I'll walk you down, Luv." Nigel looked at Seely and Bug. "You'll call me when she wakes up?"

Matt nodded, he'd accepted the fact that he was here until Jordan woke up. After Lily was gone, Lu Simmons stuck her head out the door.

"I'm sending him out, take him down stairs and make him eat." She ordered leaning forward and kissing him quickly. Matt looked at Bug.

"I'll walk down with you." He told him as Woody wandered out looking like a refugee. Matt clapped his hand on the other detectives back and steered him towards the elevator.

"Let's get you some food." Matt sighed.

"Bug, she is going to wake up, isn't she?" His hands shook. Matt and Bug exchanged glances. "Isn't she?"

"Yeah Woody," Bug told him softly. "She's going to wake up." Woody nodded, letting the tears in his eyes spill over his cheeks before wiping them away. "She's going to wake up."

"Come on." Matt moved him towards the cafeteria as the doors opened. "You have to eat something."

Woody nodded again, still never looking up from the table.


	7. Brilliant Resilliance

**Brilliant Resilience **

(takes place during and after R&R)

* * *

Tallulah watched the blood pressure cuff inflate on Jordan's arm. She arched back to see what it was, sighing in relief when she did. She pulled her body back towards her friend. 

"Hey." She said softly. "You're going to be fine." She told her.

She had to be. Lu knew her partner would never live through this if she wasn't.

"Woody's so damn excited about the baby." She smiled at her. "He spent hours last week thinking up names and weird ways to spell them. I told him you should name her Hillary Clinton Hoyt, but he didn't seem to think you'd like it." She laughed, squeezing Jordan's hand.

"Hey. He needs you. You need to be strong because he needs you." Her voice broke a little. "We.. I'm just getting to know you. I haven't had a real female friend since High School.. and now all the sudden I'm your bridesmaid and Lily wants my advice on table settings and party favors..

"Jordan you have to get through this. Everybody's worried sick. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep Woody alive. I mean.. he looks like hell." She made a sad sighing sound, taking her hand from Jordan's to wipe her eyes. "You have to wake up soon okay? You promised me you'd show me how to work the mass spectrometer, remember? So I don't have to keep letting Sparky have all the fun?"

She leaned back in her chair and waited for Matt and Woody. She was surprised when the next set of footsteps belonged to Garret Macy.

* * *

(at Max's house- a week later) 

"Dad?" Woody moved through the front room of the house holding the hot pizza box by it's edges until he set it on the counter. "Dad?"

"I'm down here." Woody followed Max Cavanaugh's voice down the steps and into the basement. "Help me with this, will you?" He dropped two boxes down into Woody's outstretched arms. "You bring the pizza?" Hoyt nodded.

Max smiled and took a box from Woody as they climbed the stairs.

"What's all this?"

"These are things for my granddaughter." He smiled at Woody's soft expression. "Emily kept a few things, she said they were for Jordan's babies. I almost threw them out a few years ago. Something stopped me."

"What?"

"She brought some baby faced detective into my bar to meet me." He quipped. "I decided they still might get some use someday."

Woody smiled and opened the lid on his box. Blankets, booties, dolls with silky hair and fluffy bears. He'd seen a picture of Jordan as a baby, but this still made his stomach flip. He pulled out a photo album and flipped through it until he found a picture of Emily, about six months pregnant, looking so much like Jordan it hurt. He turned the photo around to Max who smiled.

He gave Woody an expectant look before reaching into his box and pulling out a little pink ruffled dress. Woody's eyes immediately went misty, Max chuckled. The young man reached his hand out and Max handed it to him.

"We brought her home in that dress." Max shook his head. "Emily had been so particular when she chose it. I don't think I understood until now." His own eyes were starting to fill. Woody looked up at him. "Nervous?"

Woody sank down in the chair as Max put the items back into the box and pushed the pizza towards his son in law.

"Terrified."

"Of the baby or of Jordan?"

Woody laughed before his mouth settled into a smirk. "Jordan."

"It was a freak thing Woody. She'll be fine." He reminded him. "Dr. Milar still think everything's all right?" Woody nodded. "See she's fine."

Woody grabbed a piece of pizza and took a bite, chewing slowly.

"I was kind of thinking maybe we'd have thanksgiving this year." Woody told him. Max's eyebrows shot up.

"In your little apartment?" He laughed.

Woody stopped chewing and smiled expectantly.

"No, no.. not here." Max shook his head. "I'm not going to cook for the whole morgue and neither are you."

"Bug and Nigel offered to do most of the cooking." Max looked alarmed. "Sydney said he'd supervise." He looked pleadingly at Max. "Everyone could bring a dish. Please don't make me have thanksgiving dinner at the morgue again, Dad." He made a disgusted face. "It's just wrong."

"How many?" He growled.

"The morgue gang plus two detective friends of ours, my partner and her boyfriend. Maybe three, I don't know if Santana has plans or not. She's been kind of illusive lately." His voice trailed off as he tried to remember the last time he'd even seen the young homicide detective.

"Will my daughter be attending, Woodrow?" Max said pointedly. He'd told his father in law that Jordan had asked about him when she woke up in the hospital, but she still hadn't been in contact.

"If not then she'll be awfully lonely warming up a Turkey pot pie in our apartment." He smiled. Max looked over his pizza and down to the floor. Woody followed his gaze to the frilly dress.

"Okay." He smiled looking back at Woody. "You talked me into it."

* * *

(at the morgue the day Jordan has left for maternity leave.) 

"Garret?" Renee slipped the last paper plate into the trash bag and walked down the hall to his office. "Garret?"

He sat at his desk starring out the window.

"Garret?" She watched his head move in acknowledgment of her voice. "I meant it when I said I wasn't finished with our discussion."

He looked down at his desk.

"Woody wants me to stay away from Jordan." He said stifly.

"I can imagine. Not many new fathers want their wives and babies hanging out with alcoholics." He turned to face her.

"I'm not sure where I go from here Renee." He shook his head. "I did try to stop." He shook his head.

"It's a disease Garret. You're a doctor, you know that." She shook her head. "It's not about liking Scotch or hating Slockum. It's about your father and his father and the long line of alcoholic's in your family. It's about never being good enough and trying to control your life and everyone else's so nothing bad can ever happen on your watch." He looked up at her. "That's impossible Garret. You're not God. You just get to play one during the day." She smiled at him crossing the office and sitting down at his desk. "You need time. You need help. Treatment."

"No." He shook his head. "I can't leave here.. not with Jordan gone for four months. I can't possibly.."

"Cedar Ridge has a great program Garret." She said softly. "A week of inpatient then daily outpatient visits. Bug can run things here for a week. You know he can." She put her hand on his arm. "Garret?"

He looked up at her with wet sorrowful eyes and nodded.

"I should make the arrangements." He mumbled.

"Lily already did. She's at your apartment packing a bag. Bug's on his way back up to take the reins." He smirked at her.

"Why do I get the impression I was going today no matter what?" He smiled sadly at her.

"Because you were." She kissed his forehead. "But I'm glad it happened this way."

* * *

(the bar) 

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at home knitting booties." Matt laughed as Woody walked in with Sydney.

"Cute." He snapped sitting down on the other side of his partner. "I came in Bug's place. He's stuck at work."

"Yeah. I heard Macy's still not back from his _personal time_." Matt whispered loudly. Lu hit him on the arm. Woody just shrugged. "So Bug's the man, behind the woman, behind the man at the morgue?"

"Something like that." Sydney said shaking his head. "He's driving me crazy. I can't wait for Macy to get his ass back tomorrow. Woody you want something?" He pointed to the bar.

"Coke is fine. It's supposed to snow." He looked at Tallulah, and she rolled her eyes, pushing her drink to Matt.

"All ready?" Woody nodded and she turned her face to Matt. "How did you luck out and get off on the first snow day?"

"Lucky I guess." He smiled. "I wish I was off today. The acting chief ME was frantic all morning about getting-."

"Milk, bread and eggs!" Sydney grimaced returning from the bar. Woody smiled.

"He does that every single year." He told them laughing, before glancing down at his watch. "I should go."

"You just got here!" Matt laughed.

"It's twenty minutes till Jordan Hoyt's Blood Pressure Theater.. he's got to get there before the opening scene." Sydney told them dramatically. "He's only seen it a thousand times."

Woody made a face at his friend.

"Okay enough." He narrowed his eyes at Sydney. "Maybe someday you'll have someone to rush home too."

"Oh wait!" Matt made everyone jump. "Did anyone else see Bug checking out Olivia?"

Woody's eyebrows hit the top of his head. "Your kidding? The intern?"

"What's so shocking about that?"

"Woody used to like to have first pick of the interns before he got married." Matt explained. Sydney and Woody looked down. "Oh.. sorry I forgot."

"You forgot?" Sydney said looking at him.

"What I hardly knew her before she died." He shrugged. "I just knew Hoyt had the hots for her and that made Jordan a pain in the ass to work with."

Lu nodded in realization. Devan. Jordan had told her about Devan.

"I need to go."

"Wait what about Bug and the intern? He was checking her out." Matt whined.

"He did more than that." Sydney said softly, as all eyes snapped to him. "He asked her out."

"Holy God." Simmons' laughed. "It's a sign of the apocalypse!"

Woody laughed at her shaking his head, before casting one last look at his watch.

"Oh go home already!" His partner yelled. "Tell Jordan 'Hi' for me." Woody smiled at his friends and hurried out the door.

"They've been through a lot." She whispered after he was gone.

"We all have. It's been a long year." Matt said softly. Tallulah touched his arm. "So Bug and the intern?" Sydney nodded. "There has got to be some way to use this to are advantage." He laughed.

"Maybe something for the Christmas party?" Lu suggested as Sydney leaned over the table towards them to plan. Tallulah whispered out an idea.

"You're brilliant." Matt said kissing her hand that he had been holding.


	8. White as Snow

White as Snow

(takes place during Shades)

* * *

(at the morgue) 

"Are you going to be all right getting home?" Bug leaned in towards Olivia Blaire, moving a strand of her silky red hair out of her face.

"I took the underground." She said, her soft accent clipping each word.

"Still.." He looked towards the window. "You'll call me when you get there?"

"Don't I always, Chief?" She smiled at him and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm not acting as chief anymore. Macy got back an hour ago and I am more than ready to update him and get out of the command chair." He smiled at her.

"That's what I love about you. You're not the kind to get drunk on power." She teased.

"As much as I hate to say this?" He looked at the window again. "You better go before it gets worse." She smiled kissing his cheek. "We still on for tomorrow night?"

"Yes of course." She gave him another sweet smile and started down the hall. He watched her oblivious to the almost remorseful look emanating from Lily Lebowski. "Don't worry about me!" She yelled as she rounded the corner and out of view.

"Hey Dr. M! Nice to see you back."

"Thank you, Doctor Blaire." Garret smiled shyly, and tried to remind himself to ask Lily the girls first name.

Olivia was standing in front of the elevator when Jordan burst out of it.

"Dr. Hoyt? What are you doing here?"

"I work here." Jordan sighed. "Sorry, cabin fever I guess."

"Well be careful the floor is slippery." She watched Jordan's eyes roll into the back of her head as the doors shut around her.

* * *

(in trace) 

"So she just wants us to sit here?" Nigel shook his head in frustration.

"That's what she wants." Lily looked at Bug, he was looking around the room.

"You'll need to monitor her pressure Lily. Do you remember how?" She nodded. Nigel shot Bug a dirty look. "What? If she doesn't want us in there she doesn't want us in there. It's her choice. Call us if you need us."

Nigel turned his pouting gaze to the wall as Lily slipped back out the door.

"This is ridiculous. We're doctors." Nigel grumbled.

"Nige. It's not like it's her tonsils. I can understand why Jordan might feel a little uncomfortable."

"She's a high risk pregnancy."

"And we're right down the hall." He finished as Garret Macy wandered in the room.

"What's wrong?" He looked from Bug to Nigel.

"Jordan's in labor." Nigel yelled, watching Garret make a beeline for the door. "Unless you have a uterus we don't know about, you're unwelcome, Mate." He called to him. Garret turned and gave Bug a look.

"She doesn't want us there." He told him shaking his head in wonderment that both of these men felt the need to charge down the hall to Jordan's rescue. "Woody called it in, but.." He gestured out the window. "it's going to be a while."

"She doesn't want us in there?" Macy asked for clarification purposes.

"Unless you have a uterus." Nigel reminded.

"Lily and Lu are in there with her and Woody." Bug explained.

"So what do we do?" Garret mumbled.

"I'm starving." Nigel's voice was still pouting. "I'm going to make French toast."

"Hey! That stuff is for emergencies!"

"Yeah.. cause milk bread and eggs will help immensely in this situation." Nigel yelled on his way to the kitchen.

* * *

(in trace) 

"It'll feel like wet rope." Garret told her holding up a bungie cord. "You clamp here, and here and cut." Lily grimaced. "Woody doesn't want to do it?" Lily shook her head. "So you drew the short stick?" She nodded again and he smiled. "It's no big deal."

"Easy for you to say." Lily smiled.

"How's she doing?" He asked quietly.

"She's doing better than I would be." Lily shook her head. "Her blood pressure's still rising but it's still with in high normal." Garret nodded.

"How's Woody?"

"Amazing." Lily said flatly. "I swear he's amazing."

Garret smiled.

"How are you? Nothing like an easy first day back!" She looked at him nervously.

"If anything's going to drive me back to the bottle it'll be Jordan Cava-. Hoyt. Jordan Hoyt." She smiled at him sadly and he shook his head. "I'm all right, Lily."

"Hey?" Lu's voice caused them both to look up quickly. "Woody wants to talk to Doctor M." She said softly. "He needs you back in there, Lil. I'm going to call Matt and see if him and Santana can speed this along. She's really close." Garret nodded and Lily tried to suppress a worried sigh as they walked down the hall to meet Woody.

* * *

(in trace) 

"So." Nigel said leaning over his cards to his friend. "You and Olivia."

"Who's Olivia?" Garret asked tossing to cards from his hand towards Bug, who made a face at him.

"Dr. Blaire." He said in irritation.

"You and Dr. Blaire?" Bug looked blank faced at Nigel, who was nodding. "When the hell did-?"

It was the baby's cry that stopped him mid sentence. The three of them looked towards the door as Lily rushed in.

"Here!" She yelled thrusting the baby at Garret and grabbing Bug by the arm. "She needs help." Nigel started forward but Lily pushed him back. "She wants Bug." She called to him as she pulled him into the hallway.

Garret looked down at the newborn, laying her out on the table they'd been playing cards on. Nigel was looking at the floor.

"Sweet Jesus." He whispered sharply. Garret followed his gaze down to Lily's foot prints in bright red blood on the floor. The doors in autopsy burst open and the commotion began. Nigel looked in through the windows of the door. "She's hemorrhaging."

"How badly?" Garret asked.

"Badly." Nigel answered in a breathy whisper. "Good Lord."

The baby girl in front of him made a displeased sound. Garret Macy dropped his eyes to her and smiled.

"Well Hello to you too." He pulled his stethoscope to his ears and looked at her. "Demanding just like your mother." _Who's bleeding to death next store. _He thought. _Focus Macy. _He looked back at the baby, nothing like an easy first day back.

If he was going to give her an apgar score it would be ten. The little pink baby protested each touch with a lusty yell. _Just like her mother._ Garret watched her eyes crack open revealing Woody's crystal blue eyes.

"I need help!" By the time Garret looked up Nigel had already burst through the doors.

* * *

(in1)

Nigel pushed Woody back into a chair and came around to Bug.

"Get IV Crystalloid from the stock cabinet and hook it up! Two liters Nige." The Brit nodded an rushed away. "Tallulah I need you to help." She tentivly moved away from Woody who burried his head in his hands. "Start treating her for shock. Get blankets, everyone has one in there office. There are some in the locker room.. get them all." She nodded running out towards the office. "Lily help me get her in Trendelenbergs." She looked at him helplessly.

"Head lower than torso Lily. Get the cushions from Jordan's couch and Bugs going to need a stool. Hurry." Garret said from the doorway as he moved over to Woody. "Come on. Come with me. You're daughter needs you." He pulled the detective to his feet and ushered him into the adjoining room.

Lily ran back in with the step stool, dragging two cushions behind her. Nigel was hanging the IV's when Lu ran in with the blankets tossing one over Jordan and helping Lily.

"Wait no. I can't reach." Bug stretched his bloody arm out and tried to stand on his tip toes on the stool.

"Here." Lu pulled Jordan towards the head of the table, lowering her top torso off the edge and holding her there. Lily moved a chair to her and propped Jordan's shoulders on one of the cushions. Bug had climbed on the table now.

"What's her blood type?" He yelled suddenly.

"I uh.. I think it's.."

"Forget it." He looked around the room.

"I'm O negative." Simmons whispered slowly.

"Lily, trade places with her." Bug ordered. "Nigel get her set up."

It was right about then Bug was sure he heard sirens in the distance of the all too quiet street below them.

* * *

(at the hospital)

Garret Macy stood in front of the nursery waiting room looking at his family.

"How is she?" Lu Simmon's looked up at him from where she sat wrapped in Matt Seely's arms. "Is she okay?"

"She's going to be fine." He told them softly. "Thanks to Dr. Vjay here." Max clapped his hand down on Bug's shoulder.

"And my Granddaughter?"

"..Is perfect." They turned towards Woody's voice. He turned the baby towards the group. "Hannah.. this is everybody. Everyone.. this is Hannah Emilia Hoyt. 5lbs 12oz 19 inches.. and as big of a trouble maker as her mother." Woody offered the baby to Max, who shook his head slowly before tracing her face with his finger and wiping his eyes.

"We'll talk later." He whispered to her. Woody turned to Seely and Simmons.

"Can I?" Matt asked quietly. Woody nodded, slipping Hannah into his arms. Tallulah made a soft noise and looked at his face, brushing her thumb across his cheek after the few tears that had escaped from his amazed eyes. She kissed the side of his head. "You made something this beautiful?" He asked Woody. His usually crisp sarcastic tone coming out muted. Tallulah turned his face to hers and kissed him.

"Hey. Not in front of the baby." Hoyt smiled at them before turning to Bug. The two men starred at each other for a moment before Bug looked down grinning. "Twice man." Woody said softly. "That's twice that you've.." Woody's soft thick voice trailed off and he shook his head. Grasping Bugs shoulder he nodded at him wordlessly. Bug nodded back.

Nigel and Lily were cooing over Hannah now.

"I should.. I want to be there when she wakes up." He whispered as Lily handed Hannah back to her father. Woody kissed her sleeping face. "Say goodbye to your family, Baby." He told her letting her little body curve into his shoulder. "We'll see them soon."

* * *

(in the hospital cafeteria) 

"That was…" Simmon's let the word trail off as she looked across the table towards Bug. He chuckled and smiled at her. "I delivered a baby today." She shook her head, as Matt moved his hand up and down her back. "And you.. you saved a life."

"How are you, Luv?" Nigel asked her softly. "You lost a lot of blood to the cause." She smiled before shooting him a dirty look and rubbing her arm. "I haven't found a vein on a live person in over ten years. I was bound to be rusty!" He said defensively as she burried her face in Matt's shoulder.

"Rusty?" She pulled up her sleeve revealing the dark bruise and two stitches she'd been left with. "You, are way past rusty."

"There was a reason we became medical examiners." Bug reminded.

"I think you missed you're calling." Max told Bug returning with a tray full of coffee's. Dr. Vjay shook his head.

"No. No, I didn't."

"Remind me I owe you a beer." He told him. Bug snickered. He looked up to see Garret and Lily wandering in. "Hey, how's it look out there?"

"It's stopped snowing." Lily mumbled. "It looks really peaceful."

"I called Santana. She's going to bring up another car to get us all home." Matt said softly before making a face. "Hey.. who's at the-? Never mind." Everyone hated it when he asked that question he thought, until he watched the slow look of realization cover Macy's features.

"Oh Shit." He said slowly making eye contact with Bug who sat there with his mouth wide open.

Nigel began frantically dialing Sydney to tell him to get his butt to the abandoned morgue.

He could barely here him when he answered over Matt Seely's hysterical laughter.

* * *

Stay tuned for the final chapter of the final chapter of this series! Ah! 

Ps. All medical procedure in this chapter came from an online copy of Military Medicine a field hospital guide used by field medics. Property of the USMC.


	9. Blood Red Customs

**Blood Red Customs**

(takes place during and after Shades)

* * *

(at the hospital) 

"Hey." Jordan looked up as Lu Simmon's slipped into the room.

"I hear we're blood sisters now." She joked.

"You know Jordan." The blonde slipped into the chair by the bed. "IF you wanted to make a pact that badly we could have just pricked our fingers." Jordan tried to sit up to give the baby to Lu, grimacing at the effort. "Here. Don't sit up let me help." Tallulah quickly grabbed Hannah from her and sat back in the chair.

"I'm fine." Jordan whispered.

"Really? Cause you look like shit." Lu laughed.

"Well, God only knows what disgusting diseases I've acquired. You have sex with Seely!" She joked rolling her eyes. Simmons chuckled running her finger over Hannah's soft brown hair. "You like went way beyond the call of duty." Jordan continued. "You know that right?" Tallulah sniffed never taking her eyes off of Hannah. "Lu, you delivered my baby." Simmons looked up at the sound of Jordan's serious tone. "Then you let Nigel cut into you so you could give me like half of your blood volume." She shook her head. "I'd be dead. You saved my life. You know that right?"

The blonde nodded slowly.

"How do you thank someone for that?"

"You just did." Lu whispered. She looked a Jordan meaningfully before breaking eye contact and smiling slyly. "You know you should thank Bug. He was elbow deep in places we shouldn't even talk about in front of Hannah."

Jordan grimaced before breaking into an embarrassed grin and covering her face.

"Hey it could have been worse. It could have been Nigel." Lu chuckled before Jordan joined her in a throaty giggle.

"When did you go from my husbands partner to one of my best friends?" Jordan asked her casting her eyes down to the bed.

"How did I go from being the woman you thought was trying to steal your boyfriend to one of your best friends?" Lu reminded her.

"That was before I knew you had horrible taste in men." Jordan joked, Simmons shook her head. "I heard Matt made the alarm on your biological clock go off the other night in the waiting room." Jordan laughed. "You guys will have a whole army of smarmy little Seelys before we know it."

"Are you kidding me? I just watched you go through five and a half hours of labor and then almost bleed to death on an autopsy table five days ago. I'm having my tubes tied!"

Hannah made a small protesting noise and Lu looked down at her sweet face.

"She wants cousins." Jordan arched an eyebrow. "She's Woody's daughter.. she'll be very persistent. She'll just wear you down until you cave."

"I'll think about it." Lu told the baby. "We'll talk again soon."

"So, you and Matt are going to stay at the house with them?" Jordan said softly. Lu looked up at her when her voice broke, nodding slowly.

"Good."

"You'll be out of here and getting no sleep before you know it." Lu comforted her. "Until then, we'll let Daddy suffer." She made a face at Hannah before looking into Jordan's teary eyes. Lu settled the baby back into her mother's arms. Stopping to squeeze Jordan's shoulder. "It'll be okay."

* * *

(at Jordan and Woody's house -formally Max's house) 

"Please, Please, Please Hannah. You're killing me." Woody Hoyt banged his head back against the rocking chair and listened to his daughter's mewling cry.

Matt Seely stood with his back against the door frame. Woody ran his fingers through his hair he looked helplessly at his friend. Tallulah slipped underneath him and handed him the warmed bottle.

"Here try." She encouraged. Hannah would have none of it. She continued to scream.

"What if something's wrong?" He said in a panicked whisper.

"Nothing's wrong." She soothed

"What if…?" He insisted

"Nothing's wrong Woody. She's just a baby!" Lu shot at him.

"How do you know?" He shot back.

"Stop it! Give her to me." Seely walked forward and scooped Hannah and the bottle away from Woody and walked towards the guest room. Lu and Hoyt exchanged concerned glances until the crying stopped. Woody got to his feet and followed his partner into the hall. There was Matt Seely, laying on his side next to Hannah with his shirt unbuttoned and the baby tucked inside. Feeding her the bottle. He looked up at there astonished faces.

"Jordan was nursing at the hospital. She's used to the skin to skin contact when she's upset." He murmured as Hannah gulped down the bottle. Woody shook his head slowly as his partner beamed at her boyfriend.

"How the hell did you know that?" Hoyt asked him.

"You're not the only one who read baby books you know." He said softly removing the bottle from a sleeping Hannah's still mouth.

"Maybe I do want a house full of smarmy Seelys." Lu mumbled. Matt shot her a quick smile before laughing at Woody's confused expression.

"Go to sleep Hoyt you look like hell." He laughed. Woody glanced at Hannah and then at a nodding Lu before wandering back down to his and Jordan's bedroom and dropping onto the pillow. Matt Seely.. uncle of the year… who knew?

* * *

(Hoyt house.. Jordan's homecoming day) 

"It's beautiful." Olivia said softly tuning Natalie's ruby engagement ring into the light. "It's unusual. I love it." Natalie smiled before turning back to the table.

"Nigel has a red aura." She explained as Olivia nodded slowly and turned her face to Sydney as the girl carried the tray into the family room.

"Don't ask." Sydney mumbled. "She'll cleanse you."

"Sounds painful." Olivia joked.

"I think they're here." Natalie called to them just before they heard Matt Seely's voice boom through the door over Hannah's cry.

"Out of the way. Hungry baby coming through!" He made his way into the kitchen and set the car seat on the table. Sydney cooed at Hannah rocking her seat back and forth while Matt warmed a bottle. Lu walked into the kitchen after him.

"Jordan could nurse her." She told him quietly, his eyes lit up and he put the bottle back in the 'fridge as his girlfriend untangled Hannah Hoyt from her seat and carried her out to her mother.

"Duh." Matt mumbled looking at Sydney and shaking his head.

"You spend two weeks taking care of a baby, you get in a routine." Sydney shrugged.

"I'm gonna miss her." Matt mumbled.

"Softy." Sydney grinned at Seely's smirk. "So marry Simmons.."

"Pushy. pushy." Matt muttered. "Hey how are things going with Gregg?" He smiled at the look of shock on Sydney's face.

"You know?"

"Of course I know. Hoyt can't keep a secret." Sydney shook his head. "What? Did you think I was a homophobe or something?"

"No. Well.. I guess not."

"You guess not? You're one of my best friends! What do I care which side of the bread you butter?" Matt yelped watching Sydney look around in alarm. Matt grimaced before shaking his head. "No one out there would care. They probably already know.. Hoyt-."

"Can't keep a secret I know. I know." Sydney adjusted his glasses shaking his head. "How long have you known?"

"I don't know. I always thought it.. well.. until you didn't hit on me… then I had my doubts."

"You're not my type." He laughed.

"No apparently ADA Gregg Cawlyer is."

"Maybe." Sydney whispered still more than a little uncomfortable with Matt Seely knowing about his relationship.

"Oh come on! What do you think I'm going to do? Start calling him AD Gay or something? I can be tactful!" Matt cried.

"Can you?" Sydney laughed. "Simmons has been working hard on you."

"Any way!" He whined. "I just wanted you to know that I know and I don't care. Neither does Tallulah. Who is more than upset you didn't trust her with your secret." Matt rolled his eyes. "She's not going to let you forget it man."

"Forget what?" Lu said wandering back into the kitchen.

"That Sydney thought we wouldn't want to be friends with a fairy." Matt quipped.

"Sparky!" She admonished shaking her head back and forth. Sydney just laughed. "Stop acting like.. yourself." She watched him scowl at her before kissing his cheek. "Jordan and Woody want to ask us something. They're in Hannah's room."

Sydney stood there for a long time after they left, wondering when he had decided to keep his sexual preference a permanent secret from his closest friends, when it looked like most of them already knew.

* * *

(hoyt house 2am) 

"There you two are." Woody crept up behind his wife and daughter. Jordan smiled at him over his shoulder. "How's it going?"

"I thought she'd forget me." Jordan confessed. "I thought she'd miss Lu Simmons. I thought she'd reject me." He kissed the top of her head, running his finger across Hannah's cheek. "How ridiculous is that? I feared rejection from a three week old baby."

"She knows who her Mommy is." He told her coming around and joining them on the couch. "And if she misses anyone it's Seely." He laughed a little. "Did you see his face?"

"He's going to be a great Godfather. You were right." She whispered kissing his cheek. "He'll be a great father someday.. how creepy is that."

"He'll have Lu. She'll help to de-creepy the entire situation." He moved behind her until he could wrap his arms around her. "This is nice." She nodded. "I missed you."

"You're still scared of me." She chuckled.

"Yeah."

"I'll be okay."

"Yeah." He kissed her hair. "We're all going to be okay." She nodded looking at Hannah. "Did you find out about the thing?"

"Yeah. Lily's going to have everything set up for after the baptism." She smiled. "She thinks he'll cry. I don't know if I can handle that."

"We'll all cry."

* * *

(Hannah's Baptism.) 

"They're beautiful." Olivia nodded. "Exactly what I had in mind for Hannah." She closed the little box and smiled at Bug as Father Paul called them all back together.

"Hannah's God Parents have arranged a little ceremony in the parish hall. And her parents want you to share in yet another religious ritual. So please everyone…" He gestured towards the room. Olivia took Bugs hand and pulled him to the front.

"What's going on?" He asked as Jordan motioned towards a chair. He sat down uneasily and watched Olivia hand the small earring box to a man he had never seen before.

"Bug? This is Duranjaya Arjuna, he's a goldsmith." Lily said softly.

Bug turned towards Jordan who smiled.

"In the Hindu belief, the piercing of a newborns ears is an important event. The child is held on the lap of her maternal uncle." Paul continued as Matt Seely placed Hannah gently in Bug's arms. "The goldsmith is given gifts.." Lu handed a small bag to Mr. Arjuna who nodded towards her in thanks as he walked towards Bug and Hannah. The man's eyes were already full of tears before Hannah's ears were pierced. He shushed the baby's screams of protest and held the pacifier to her mouth. "Olivia?" Bug's girlfriend stepped forward as Lily took Hannah from her 'uncle', and handed Bug a small ornamental glass dropper. "Another Hindu ritual is for the family members to give the infant a single drop of Honey on her lips."

Nigel leaned forward.

"Don't worry, Mate." He said softly "It's Botchalism free. I checked myself." Bug shook his tear streaked face at his friend before smiling down at Hannah. Lily pulled out the pacifier as Bug dropped the golden liquid against her lips. He leaned down towards her and whispered his Mother's favorite Hindu prayer in her ear before kissing her tiny fist as she licked at her sweet lips.

* * *

(at the bar a year later - morgue Christmas party) 

"When are the Honeymooners getting back?" Olivia asked leaning back in her chair.

"Their flight got in about an hour ago. I don't know when they're going to get here. Hey! Garret over here!" She waved her hands frantically as Macy led Renee to the table.

"Can I get you two something?" Bug asked standing up from the table.

"I will have a ginger ale and the lady will have a gin and tonic." Macy told him turning towards the door as Lu and Matt Seely wandered in. "Is Hannah with Max?" Woody nodded.

"Hey." Bug waved at them as she made his way to the bar.

"I though Lily and Jeffery were coming?" Matt said frowning sarcastically. "I miss that man." Tallulah slugged her husband in the arm.

"They are, they're just running late." Olivia said turning to Matt.

"Oo.. goody." Matt cooed as Bug returned with a tray of drinks. He sat down the usual two beers in front of Matt and Tallulah. Matt grinned at his wife.

"No thank you." She said softly, a smile crossing her pale features. Jordan's eyes lit up.

"Oh Bloody Hell!" Nigel shouted grinning like a fool. "Everyone's getting in on the baby action before us!" He turned to Natalie with a pained expression. She shook her head.

"It's not a good aura for me to get pregnant." She reminded him.

"Wait what?" Woody looked at his partner who was already up and hugging his wife. "Wait…"

"What? You think you and Brandau are the only men manly enough to empregnate they're wives?" Macy made a face at his comment and cast a glance at Renee, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Hold up there manly man." She warned him. "We're way to old for that."

"You have a very positive aura for pregnancy." Natalie said helpfully. Olivia snickered at Macy's expression glancing at Bug who was studying her intensely. She grinned slyly.

"Hi sorry we're late." Lily apologized waddling towards the table. Matt stood up and let her have his chair. "Thank you Matthew. They're not here yet?" Jordan shook her head. Lily looked around the table. "What's new?"

"Well, don't pack up your maternity clothes just yet, Lil. Tallulah's carrying Matt's demon seed." Bug growled, immediately causing the women to fall back into pregnancy conversation. "Hey! Here they come!" Bug yelled catching sight of the newlyweds through the window. "Ready?"

Matt shook his head. "Are we really going to do this?"

"We better. I bet Macy fifty dollars!" Brandau yelled adjusting his glasses.

"We're doing it, Mate." Nigel told him taking a deep breath as the doors opened and the group jumped to their feet in appaluds.

"**For they are Jolly good fellows!For they are**-" Matt Seely began bellowing the song before he realized he was singing alone. "Hey!" He watched the money change hands as Nigel and Bug went to congratulate Sydney and Gregg. "Tallulah!" He yelled as Woody handed his wife twenty dollars. She looked at him raising her eyebrows and smiling as she tucked the money down the front of her shirt.

Jordan cast a quick glance at her husband as he sat back in his chair.

"What?" He gave her a funny look.

"Nothing." She lied.

"Jordan." He warned. She shook her head at him and smiled.

"Life is good." She said in near amazement. He returned her smile, leaning across his chair and kissing her.

"Yeah. It is."


End file.
